Why kids should never sleep with the door cracked open

Leaving your child's door open just a crack at night is par for the course for many parents. It lets kids feel like they're not that far from us and allows a little light into their bedroom. And don't even mention monsters in the cupboard.

But firefighters are warning that leaving a child's bedroom door ajar could mean the difference between life and death in a fire.

Cold Spring Harbor Fire Department posted a safety note on Facebook.

"As a parent it's hard to convince little kids to sleep with the door closed, they always want it open just a little. I do a lot of fire prevention at schools, so one thing I try and stress to the kids is, how important it is to sleep with the doors closed,'' they wrote.

They shared a picture of two doors.

"The photos below are a great example of the importance of keeping bedroom doors closed while sleeping. The door pictured in both photos is a hollow core door to a bedroom. While the front of the door is severely damaged the closed door protected the bedroom and its contents. If this were an occupied bedroom the closed door could have saved a life.''

The evidence is black and white, literally. The same door left, pictured burnt from the hallway and right, inside the closed bedroom where the fire could not get to. Source: Facebook.

Many parents responded with gratitude about the advice, saying they would be closing their kiddos' doors at night from now on.

But not all parents were convinced about the merits or practicality of closing their children's doors fully.

"Kids who can't sleep with the door shut are alarmed kids who need to reduce separation with their parents at night, the open door is the most they can do because they can at least hear their parents. Ooh yes, alarming them even more by the threat of a fire will surely get them to sleep better,'' someone pointed out.

"See I always worry that the fire could start in their room and the smoke detector won't pick it up if the door is closed. Or that it may start outside of the rooms and that we won't hear the alarm in time if the doors are closed... Now I just don't know what to do....'' said another parent.

The fire department shared some important fire safety tips for the whole family.

"Smoke detectors should be placed in both common areas and bedrooms of the house!" the fire department commented. "Fire drills in the house are just as important as ones in school. That is also a big thing I speak about. It is always good to have a 'meeting place' outside. Maybe a mailbox or tree in the front yard!"

The homeowners and family dog who survived the house fire pictured in the post are reportedly doing well.

This originally appeared on Kidspot and has been republished with permission.